Tobacco leaf stemming and straightening machine



March 28, 1933. J. o. MORRIS TOBACCO LEAF STEMMING AND STRAIGHTENING MACHINE M w m t m N w o Z m F 6 .8 may 3 6 I i M m 6 b w m d h m a -1 n m 1 Match 28, 1933 J. o. MORRIS TOBACCO LEAF STEMMING AND STRAIGHTENING MACHINE 16, 1 4 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwumto'c fiewasad, ame 3.1 10075 Original Filed Feb.

AJIRIIZ/ S/IZ/WIX N NW March 28, 19.33. 1,902,882

7 TOBACCO LEAF STEMMING AND STRAIGHTENING MACHINE J. o. MORRIS Original Filed Feb. 16, 1924 e Sheets-Sheet 3 mhlllllll keas I f /5 March 28, 1933. J. o. MORRIS 9 TOBACCO LEAF STEMMING AND STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 16. 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 I gwomto'o Z r16 .3. M r13 March 28, 1933. J. o. MORRIS 9 TOBACCO LEAF STEMMING AND STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 16, 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 28, 1933. J. o. MORRIS 3 TOBACCO LEAF STEMMING AND STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 16, 1924 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Mar. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES {PATENT n Q JOHN o. MoImIs, DECEASED, LATE or WASHINGTON, Drsrmoror COL MB A, BY

CARRIE B. MORRIS, ADMINISTRATRIX, or WASHINGTON, nrs'rnrcr or CO BIA, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, ro mon iccoisrnmvrnvo coRroaA'rro or." DOVER, DELAWARE, A co-RroRATIoNoF DELAWARE r f a i I.

TOBACCO LEAF srnmmrive "AND. s'rRnIGraTENING MACHINE' Continuation of application Serial No. 693,184, filed February m, 1924.

Y 24, 1926. Serial-No. 150,591l

It is a general object ofthis invention-to provide a machine of this character that Wlll. be simple in construction, effective in operation, and that will reduce to a mmimum damage to the tobacco leaf passed through the machine. .A feature of the invention resides in the provision of feeding means comprising an endless band operatively associatedfwith a carding belt, the plane ofsaid band being.

transverse to that of the belt; teeth on the edges of said band being adapted to mesh with teeth on the belt to effectively grip and convey tobacco stems to a; stripping means. .L Another featureoflthe invention relates to .an improved arrangement of stripping elements adapted to draw the stem. from theleaf andto crimp .theileaf and thereafter to straighten it out. H

A further feature provides a revolvlng suction drum in association :withthe'conveying and stripping meansoperatively responsive to the completion of thestem drawing 'operationto pull the leaves from crimped to substantially flat position. Control of the suction on the drum, so' as to alternately draw the stems and the crimped leaves to flat osition, results in retaining the leaves who e and effectively separates the stem from'the leaf fibres;

Other features including the provision of means for automatically removing the stripped leavesto a place. ofdeposit will be apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: f p V Figure 1 is a top [plan view partly diagrammatic of a machineembod-ying this invention. i

Figure 2 is afront-elevation of the same. Figure 3 is an end elevation. r Figure 4 is a fragmentary-detail top plan view similar to Figure 1, the showing being partially diagrammatic and parts being removed in order to facilitate the disclosure.

Figure 5 is'adetail front elevation similar to F igure2, the showin v being partially diagrammatic and partsv eing removed so as to reveal other parts of the mechanism,

Figure 61s afragmentary detail end elevation similar toFigure 3, thehbwihg be ing partially diagrammatic and parts being removed.

Figures 7 and 8 are views of carding belts of modifiedconstructionse i I v This application is filed as a continuation of the application ofJ ohn 0. Morris, delceased, 'filed'iFebruary 16, 1924, Serial No.

693,184.. g v o Referring to the drawings fora-detailed description of the illustrativeembodiment of the inventionthere' shown,fa su itable frame i i This ap plication filed November 1 isma de from stock materialand suitably braced. 1 Anextension fra1ne2 ismounted.

on one-end of thewmachineinzthe outer end of which is journalled an elongated" .idler carrierbelt ,pulley 3, a companion idler pulley .4; being suitably journalled in the frameof the machine on the shaft 59., These pulleys carry the belts and 6, while belt 8 is arranged in the planeof-thefbeltsi5 and 6 beingalso mounted at one end onj-thej idler pulleyB, whil e'the' other end is mounted on a suitable idler; pulley 19, the belt- 8 extend ing the full length of-the machine. These carrier belts 5, 6 and 8 are driven by suit- I able means and aretimed to travel atfithe samespeed.

Thetobacco leaves 14 are spread into more or less open position by the operator on the carrier belts 5, 6 and 8 toothe leftof-the and. are carried by the belts to the stripping stripping mechanism shown in Figure 1,

mechanism as more fully described below.

In thisconnection it will-be noted that-the belt .8 dips. downwardly ;to some extentqas at .10 (Figs. 2 and 5) and lies flat on the i underlying supporting surface 111 :(Fig. 2).

Since the belt 8 is driven 'by -the pulley 3 r through belts 5 and 6 and the upper stretch observed that said upper stretch 'mayi be slightly slack so as to follow'the supporting I travels from left to right (Fig.2), it willbe thereof (Figs. 1 and 2) are positioned below i the bottom of the stripping elements pro-' belt 18sothat the-butt -end ofthe stem .13 of the leaf 14 may be pressed down to the vided bythe continuous-bandl5 and carding 1 bottom of the teeth or stripping elements 12 on the upper edge of the continuous band 15 as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6. This stripping band is mountedon wheels 16 and 17 which are intermittently operated through the spiral gears 47 48 (Fig. by

the intermittent driving gears; shown dia grammatically at'39 and 40 (Figs. 1 and4) whereby said band is intermittently driven as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

As shown in Figs. 2 that, the carding belt18 mounted upon 'pulleys-19 and 20 has on its outer face a'series of very fine wire carding teeth 12 positioned for'cooperative engagement with the' te'eth of band 15. Said carding belt is dipped downwardly towardthe teeth 12 of the stripping band 15 b'ymeans of the guide 20- (Fig. 2) which is adjustable by means ofthe adjusting nuts 21.

' Thisfcarding-belt also is driven intermit.

' tently through intermittent driving gears 39 and 40 andgears 51 and-52(Fig. 4) andis operates simultaneously with the' band 15' means of a driving belt 44.

timed to run or operate simultaneously and i at thesame speed with the tooth band '15,

and'simultaneouslywith belts 5, 6 and 8. Also, as'shown in- Fig. 4, a' carrier belt 25 and carrier belts 5,6 and 8bei'n-g driven in any appropriate manner 'as,- f or example, by

fAsis-apparent in Figs. land 2, the strip- 7 ping band 15 is. actually an endless belt mounted on wheels 16 and 17, and "operating in a plane perpendicular tolthat of carding.

belt 18.} The carding beltis alsoendlessand has its carding teeth intermeshing with the teethof the stripping band (Figs. 5 and 6),

the surfaces of the jband and belt running closely adjacent to each other for an interval. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, theleaves to be stripped will feed on belts 5, 6 and 8 and when opposite the axis of wheel- 17 will 1 As the carrier belts reach their lower level,

V carding belt 18 (Fig. 2) then contacts with or'comes close to the edge of the band 15 and its fine wire carding teeth 12 inftermesh with the teeth 12 of the band to clamp the stems and carry them to the stripping rolls. 1

A pulley A is connected to a suitable source ofpower by means of the belt'B to operatethe main drive shaft 34 through gears 32, 33.

As bestshown in Figs. 4 and 5, a gear 35 iskeyed =to thedrive shaft 34 and intermeshes with another-gear 36, engaging a pinion 37 secured to oneend of the lowclf-' most stripping roll 22, the uppermost stripping roll 22 having a companion pinion 38 intermeshing with the pinion 37 (Fig.5) 8 whereby the stripping rollers 22 aredri'ven continuously in opposite directions from the shaft '34. I v K K V j i An intermittent spiral gear wheel39 is provided with gear teethintermeshing with the teeth of the spiralpinion 40 mounted on the shaft41, seated in the bearing'42. ,drivin'g belt 44 is mounted on a pulley 43 'fixed on'shaft 41 andis' also mounted on a pulley 45 onthe shaft 46on which thedriving drum 73 for the carrier belt 25 is mounted. A spiral'gear 47 is mounted on the shaft49 to which, is-sec1'1red}the-- wheel 16 carrying the toothed band 15. The wheel 16 thus drives-the band 15 intermittently since the s iral 'ears47 '48 are likewise driven intermittenti through 5 gears 89 and 40. a

Itwill be understood that the intermittent driving'gears 39 and 40 may beof'any well known type for effeetingintermittent drive.

intermittent ,They are herein disclosed diagrammatically merely, as the detail structure thereof is well-known. The ,1'nain drive shaft 34 is driven continuously by" the driving belt B. As shown in Fig. 4a gear wheel-51 is the gear wheel 52. Said'gearwheels51and 52- have interrupted movement through the intermittent gears 39and 40, whereby for a h period of time, these wheelswill remain'stationaryk A shaft 53 secured to' the gear mounted upon the shaftf41" meshing with wheel 52 extends toward the front I of the machine and mounted thereon is the pulley 20 on 'which'thecarding belt 181s -mounted. The shaft 53 is j ournalled in a suitable bearing '54 'mounted on the frame work of the machine. Therefore,the'band 15 and the I companion carding belt 18, both beingdriven from the intermittently running shaft 41, will travel intermittently in unison.

There is an opening 56" in the platform 11 of the =machine (Fig.' 1) 'just above'the vacuum drum 23; I "Driving shaft 59ffor the beltpulley '4 (Fig. '4') is driven'intermittently from the intermittent'spiral gears '39' and 40 by a sprocket chain 55 from shaft 53 to'shaft'59 which is *j ournalled-in suitable bearings 60 one of which appears in Fig.2. j i

7 As seen in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6, aninte'r mittent'" spiral gear "61 'inounte'd 7 upon .the

main drive shaft 34 intermeshes with the spiral gear 62'n1ou'ntedon shaft 6,9,ithei 'ner' end jof which :is nionnted on the frame ofthe machine."These intermittent gearsj also may be 'of' any well known type and are'shown diagrammatically herein.

The shaft 69 has secured toit a spur gear wheel 70*(Fig56), 'meshing with spur gear wheel 65 on'shaft'63. 3 On shaft'63 is mountedspiral gear 66' intermeshing with spiral apart from the stemming machine andrmayr be driven continuously'by aseparate motor.

An air line 75 is connectedfrom-the pump to the drum the vacuum being cut oil at the proper time by a shutter or valve 29 which revolves with the drum. I a

It should be kept in mind as above stated that the main drive shaft 34; rotates con tinuously while the carrier belts 5, "6 and '8 and the'stripper belts 15 and 18 travel in termittently 'by virtue of the intermittent driving gears 39 and 4:0. It should also be kept in mind that the leaf transferring and straightening suction drum 23 is also rotated intermittently by virtue of the intermittent driving gears 61 and 62. Thetiming, however, of the intermittent V drum drive is difl'erentfrom thatlofthe other intermittent drive whereby the drum performs its leaf straightening and transferringxfu'nction whilethe stripperrbelts 15 and18, as well as the carrier belts 5, 6, 8, etc., are at rest. The timing ofthe stripper belts 15 and 18 is preferably such that theirtravel is stopped soon after the leafstem is entered between the continuously rotating stripperrolls 22 whereby thelatter function to strip the stem from the leaf proper partly at least during a period of rest of the stripper belts 15 and 18. Atthe'time that the suction drum is active in transferring and straightening the leaf, the intermittent drive gears'39 and are inactive to effect their driving function whereby the movement of the band 15 and carding belt 18 is stopped as also are the carrierbelts '5, 6,8'

and'25. When the suction drum 23-is thus active and :in engagement with the tip end of the leaf the opposite or stem end of said leaf will be engaged and held by'the strip teeth12'and 12 of the stripper belts 15 and 18.- This action of the drum thus assures that the leaf will be straightened out and smoothed from its crimped position which it has previously assumed by the action of the stripping rollers and stripping belts as described. Also, it will be noted that this action of thesuction drum occurs subsequently to the stripping action of the strip per rollers and belts. As clearly shown in Fig, 1, a'sprocket chain mountedupon'a sprocket 'wheel 30 on the shaft 53 and a sprocket 31 on the shaft-64 drives the 'carrier' belts 5 and 6' through intermeshing gears 571and58 and the shaft 59 on" which the beltr'driving pulley is mounted. The

carrierbelt 8 may, as shown, be driven by belts 5 and ,6'through the common supporting pulley 3.

Gripping leaf stripping rollers 22 (Figs. 1 4 and 5) are suitably mounted at one side of the carding belt 18. The rollers rotate oppositely to each other and grip the stems fedbythelintermeshing'teeth of.belt 181 and tooth band 15. The line of contact 'of-the rollers is slightly below the line of contact of the intermeshing teeth 12 and 12" so that the-stems will incline and be more readily drawn within the rollers as they are coiiveyed to'them. The stem gripping rollers will draw the stems laterally of the carrier belts 5, 6, -8,and tend to crimp the leaves towardand against the teeth in which they are engaged on the side thereof away from the rollers.

- If this action wereto continue, the stem and leaf fibresattached to the stem would be completely pulled from the 'leaf and the torn crimped leaf wouldbe left-:'bunched and wedged in the intermeshing teeth '12 and .12 of the'band 15iand carding belt18;

To avoid this condition a vacuum drum 23 is provided and positioned on .the' other side of the line of contact of the carding belt 18 and band 15 ('Figst 1 and 4); In other words; drum -23.and stripping rollers 22 are'situated abreast of each other on oppositen sides of the gripping conveying means 15 and 18. Drum 23 is adapted .to-

rotate counterclockwise as viewed in Fig.3 so that a point on the drum will first pass the stem of a gripped lea-f before passing the body thereof. As illustrated in Fig. 1,

the drum has a series of suction openings or 'ports24 and a vacuum supply-is pro vided i for creating a "suction within the drum. The ports are timed in their'travel to reach the crimped portion of theleaves the moment the stripping action has pro ceeded sufiicientlyto :loosen the stem from the leaf. The suction on the ports together,

with peripheral movement of. the: drum due 'torotation will cause a pulling of leaf 1.4 from the stem at the same time the strip-.

ping. rollers 22 ha'vecompleted loosening the stem and slightly Vcrimped the leaf against the teeth. sThus .the suction drum will take hold of the tip of the leaf and pull the Lleafto a straight, flat position;

while the opposite endzofthe leaf and the stem areheld by theiteeth.

WVhen the leaf has been pulled substan- 'ti'ally its length by ':the action of the. suction drum, the butt end'will be completely withdrawn byflthe rollers 22ffrom between the; teeth of the band 15'and belt 18 without damage to the leafy At this point, the

feedingmechanismceases to operate'by virtue fof its intermittent J drive, while the will engage the leafr'at' any desired point in the stem pulling operationof the'strip-.

ping rollers. Sincethe dfum23 and feeding mechanism 5, 6, 8,'etc., operate inter-n mittently, and the stripping rolls 22 operate continuously, being driven from the gear place of deposit.

V intermittently 35 on main drive shaft '34, .thefstripping arrangement may be regulatedrfor differ ent grades of tobacco, to'afford a pullin one direction-of varying duration prior to the application of suction on theleaves.

A suitable wiping pad 26 (Fig. 3) is mounted to wipe on the drum to clean its surface of any particles of tobacco or for-. eign matter that maybe adhering thereto;

Guideplate 28 positioned in front .of the drum'assures the deposition of the leaves from the drum on vthe belt 25. Endless belt 25 conveys the stemmed leaves to a desired In Figure 7 I have-illustrated an arrange, ment in which two intermeshing carding belts" are employed to conveythe, leafto stemming position and hold theileaf while the stripping rolls'22 strip the stem from p the leaf. The second carding belt takes the place of toothed band 15. Figure 8 shows the interen'gagement between the wires on the belts 50'. r

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention. could be made with out departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in. the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and-not in a limiting. sense.

. What is claimedis: 4 i

1. A tobacco stemming machine including operated stem gripping means, continuously .operated stemming rolls and intermittently operated suction means to convey the stemmed leaf away from said gripping means, said rolls and suction means being arranged on opposite 7 sides of the gripping means.

2. A leaf stemming machine including, in combination, leaf feeding means, leaf gripping means, means for operating said feeding and gripping means interruptedly but simultaneously, continuously operated stripping rolls, leaf. straightening means including a suction drum, said suction drum and stripping rolls being on opposite sides of the leaf gripping means,a conveyor for the straightened leaf, said leaf straighteningmeans and said 'conv'eyorgoperatedinterdetermined degree.

mittently and only-when the said feeding and gripping means are idle.

8. A leaf stemming machine including, in combination, intermlttently operated leaf feeding means and stem gripping means including leaf anchoring teeth, continuously operating stemming rolls, intermittently operated leaf straightening 'means including a rotatable drum, cooperating with said anchoring teeth to extend th'eleaf to a substantially straightened position, said drum be ing arranged to grip'the leaf after the stemming rolls have pulled the stem to a pre- 4; A leaf stemming machine including, in

feeding means and stem gripping means including leaf anchoring means, continuously operating stemming rolls engaging the leaf stem and pulling it to crimp the leaf against said gripping means, intermittently operatmachine including, in

combination, intermittently operated stem.

gripping means includinga pair of carding belts movable in planes perpendicular to each other, continuously operated stemming rolls, and an intermittently operated drum having suction ports whereby the stemmed leaves are temporarily held on said druni and-conveyed to a point of delivery at which point the suction is released and the leaf dropped from the drum.[

6. A leaf stemmlng machine including,

in combination, intermittently operated feeding belts, leaf stripping means, continuously operated stemming rolls, said belts and strippingmeans being timed for simultaneous intermittent operation,-.-a stemmed leaf conveyor, and-means intermittently operating said conveyor vonly when the feeding belts and strippingv means are at rest.

7. A leaf stemming" machine including, in

combination, stem gripping means I inter mittentlyoperated, means for pulling the stems and crimping the leaves against said gripping "means, leaf straightening means including a suction drum intermittently operated tostraighten the fcrimped stemmed leaves, and-means operating said straighten ing means only whilethe gripping means areidle.

8. A leaf stemming machine including, in

combination, continuously [operated stemmingflmeans, intermittently operated leaf gripping means to convey the leaf tot-he stemming means, and" leaf' straightening combination, intermittently operated leaf gripping means for holding the butt end of the stemmed leaf, a drum having suction ports in its periphery-to engage the leaf whereby the tip end of said leaf is held on the drum when suction is applied, and means for controlling said drum to draw said tip end of the leaf away from its butt end subset quently to stemming action of said stem ming means.

10. A leaf stemming machine including, in i I combination, traveling leaf gripping means, stripping means for drawing the stems n a direction transverse to the line of travel of the gripping means, a suction drum for holding a leaf and rotating in a' direction to exert a pull upon a leaf held by said gripping means in a' direction transverse to and away from the latter, and timing means whereby a leaf to be stemmed will be carried to the stripping means and have its stem pulled to crimp the leaf toward the gripping means, whereupon said suction drum will engage and hold the body of the leaf and draw it fromthe stem into substantially flat condition.

11. In a leaf stemming apparatus, in combination, leaf engaging stripping elements, means for stripping the leaf stem from the leaf when held by said stripping elements, and a traveling suction drum positioned ing said stripping elements and said drum in alternation, and means continuously driv- 7 ing said stripping means.

v CARRIE B. MORRIS, Adm in'istmtm'w of the Estate of John 0. Moma's, Deceased. I

abreast of said stripping meansand engag-.

ing the leaf and transferring it subsequently and oppositely to the stripping action of said stripping means.

12.. In a leaf stemming apparatus, in combination, leaf engaging stripping elements, means for stripping the leaf stem from the leaf when held by said stripping elements, a traveling suction drum positioned abreast of said stripping means and engaging the leaf and transferring it subsequently and oppositely to the stripping action of said stripping means, and means intermittently driving. said stripping elements and said drum in alternation. Y

13. In a leaf stemming apparatus, in combination, leaf engaging stripping elements,

.means for stripping the leaf stem from the leaf when held by said stripping elements, a traveling suction drum positioned abreast of said stripping means and engaging the leaf and transferring it subsequently and oppositely to the stripping action of said stripping means, means intermittently driv- 

